Authorities investigate possible, second 'Tent City' for homeless people in Ocean County

12:14 AM,
Mar. 19, 2014

There have been people living in the woods of Toms River for a number of years, but typically in temporary encampments that have survived for several months. In this file photo from Dec. 13, 2006, homeless advocate Steve Brigham of Lakewood's Tent City delivers propane to Lenore Beverly, who at the time was living with her husband in a tent off Route 37 in Toms River.

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Toms River officials were not certain Tuesday how many people are living in an encampment in the woods between the Emerald Apartments complex off Route 166 and the northbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway, near the relatively new ShopRite on routes 37 and 166.

Ralph Stocco, a police spokesman, said investigators were attempting to determine whether the squatters were on private or public property, but that the township didn't have imminent plans to remove them from the land. Earlier this month, bulldozers began ...